Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Teringer An Exercise In Nonsense

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

Candida It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

TheLittleSongbird This reviewer considers 'A Rather English Marriage' one of the finest dramas she's ever watched, British or otherwise. So good in fact, that one does forget that it was made for TV.'A Rather English Marriage' is beautifully shot and is a lovely-looking drama in general. It's sensitively directed by Paul Seed, and hauntingly scored with a nigh-on ideal use of Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" at the drama's end.Scripting is thought-provoking, gently funny and heart-wrenchingly poignant. The story is told with great sensitivity, with the parts that could easily have been contrived being handled gracefully and believably, and really touched me on an emotional level. The ending is one classic example of an ending that one can see it as little as once and never forget it, that's how effective an ending it is. It is paced very securely, while never hurting the gentle atmosphere or adopting the book's (of which it is a very faithful adaptation of apart from the ending) occasional tendency to plod.The characters in 'A Rather English Marriage' are very well-written and easy to engage with. All serve a point to the story and they are interesting. Liz could easily have been annoying and one-dimensional considering her gold-digging nature, but 'A Rather English Marriage' successfully gives the character a good deal of heart. It is Reggie and Roy's relationship that holds 'A Rather English Marriage' together, and it is beautifully written and even more beautifully acted, the contrasting personalities of the two complementing each other perfectly.You can't go wrong with the acting either, which is superb across the board. Especially Tom Courtenay at his understated best, while Albert Finney in the more broadly written role is a splendid contrast, without falling into ham or caricature. Joanna Lumley gives charming support, and the rest of the acting is without fault.In conclusion, an unforgettably brilliant British drama. 10/10 Bethany Cox

DC1977 A modern television classic set in the Eighties, A Rather English Marriage tells the story of two recently widowed men; a brash World War Two squadron leader (Albert Finney) and a retired milkman (Tom Courtenay) who form an unlikely alliance as they come to terms with their bereavements.The two men miss their wives for totally different reasons, Roy Southgate (Courtenay) is a loyal, devoted husband who spends hours with his wife when visiting her at hospital. Reggie Conyngham-Jervis (Finney) is a philanderer who relies on his wife mainly for her cooking and cleaning skills and sees his hospital visits as time that could be better spent in the pub.When a social worker sees that each man could be the solution to the other's problems, these two characters (complete opposites plagued by personal problems they try to keep hidden) who were hospital waiting room acquaintances are now brought together full time.This is the sort of charming, well-written television drama that nobody seems to want to make anymore, the two leads forming an even more effective partnership than they did in The Dresser fifteen years earlier where Finney stole the show.Courtenay is superbly understated, Finney is more powerful and boisterous and probably the more versatile actor. Their contrasting styles complement each other perfectly.Although this is mainly a double-act, Joanna Lumley also excels as the gold-digger who has her eye on Reggie's wallet.However this drama belongs equally to Finney and Courtenay. The final scene with these two grand old men of film and theatre dancing to Glenn Miller's 'Moonlight Serenade' will surely prove to be one of the most lasting and endearing moments in British television.

lorenellroy The pairing of Courtenay and Finney,whose contrasting styles combine so well together,were brilliant in The Dresser,which makes their pairing in this drama so very welcome.They play contrasting men widowed on the same day and paired together by social services.Finney is a womanising ex=Battle of Britain pilot whose wife came from wealthy stock while Courteney is a former milkman.Courteney possesses all the requisite domestic skills while Finney would struggle to boil water without a recipe book. Against all odds and not helped by Finney's habit of assuming command they rub along well together until the arrival of Joanna Lumley a gold-digger who sets her sights on FinneyBeautifully written and impeccably played character study.It illustrates that dumbing down ,while having achieved epidemic proportions on UK television,has not yet conquered all bastions of the box.

Boris-34 I was tired and did not expect to stay with this movie, but thought I'd see how it began. The story and the absolutely wonderful performances by Finney and Courtenay kept me absorbed in it till it was all over. This quiet movie was, unexpectedly, to be one of my all-time favorites.